LLTC Faculty Professional Development
Each academic year LLTC Distance Education issues a faculty professional development plan. The list of trainings and workshops below focus on developing individualized skills for leveraging teaching with technology features and tools that make up the Leech Lake Tribal College, Digital Learning Environment (DLE). In this plan the LLTC Digital Learning Environment (LLTC DLE) is defined to include the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS), the suite of Office 365 applications, and other integrated applications available that work with Canvas available to the LLTC teaching community. The overall goal of this plan is to offer quality faculty professional development in-house and build faculty skills for enhancing student learning and lifelong skills using teaching and learning technologies.
Currently, the 2025-2026 plans include multiple professional development options starting the fall term:
Canvas Training Series – A series of 3 workshops at 3 learning levels:
- Level 1 – Canvas Essentials – this includes asynchronous learning in a Canvas course followed by an instructor led hands-on training session. Content in this course focuses on Canvas basics like – navigating the Canvas LMS, elements like modules, pages, assignments, discussions and quizzes which make up a Canvas course. LLTC faculty and staff and self-enroll in this training using this link – Level 1 – Canvas Essentials
- Level 2 – Student Success – continues to build on what you learn by completing the Canvas Level 1 training under the same delivery model which combines asynchronous, and instructor led hands-on training. The Level 2 training focuses on leveraging Canvas features and teaching strategies specific to supporting “Student Success” at LLTC. LLTC faculty and staff can self-enroll in this training using a link provided in the Level 1 course.
- Level 3 – Student Engagement – again, building on the skills developed by completing levels 1 and 2 – Level 3 focuses on engaging student in their learning in an online environment. You will explore student engagement strategies through the use of Canvas features like Groups, Collaborations, and Peer reviews. Additionally, this training covers differentiated instruction and assessment strategies, and the use of Canvas learning analytics. Enrollment in the Level 3 training course will be facilitated by the Distance Education Coordinator.
Online Instructor Certification Course – Applied Teaching Online
The Applied Teaching Online training satisfies LLTC credentialing requirement for online instruction. The guided asynchronous training is a skills building course to prepare instructors for teaching online classes. During the training participants applying instructional design principles as they build an online course in Canvas they will teach in the future.
“Spotlight” Sessions
Call it what you will – “Spotlight”, “Pop-Up”, or “Lunch-n-Learns” these sessions will be special topic focused mini-workshops, these events will include Canvas topics but can also include topics on Office 365 apps, other Canvas integrations or teaching with technology like lecture capture, AI tool uses, and other teaching with technology topics which support online learning and distance education.
LLTC Distance Education Consultation Services
The LLTC Distance Education provides the campus community with services, resources and support to foster meaningful student learning, quality teaching, and supportive advising aligned with our mission to provide quality higher education grounded in Anishinaabe values. LLTC Distance Education staff provides the campus community with a broad array of services which include consultation services on instructional design, course curriculum development, technology integration, media production, and accessibility strategies for instructional course content.
The confidential consultation services follow a process which generally breaks down into these 4-steps – each are applied to the various services offered:
- Analyze the course goal of the specific consultation (course design, curriculum revision, teaching technology integration or media project)
- Determine alignment to the learning objectives and assessments for that goal
- Define a strategy for reaching that goal
- Implement the plan according to the strategy
Available Consultation Services
Instructional Design – we will use educational research and innovative instructional practices to help you enhance student engagement, satisfaction and learning outcomes by leveraging the resources of our Digital Learning Environment (DLE) which includes Canvas and the Office 365 apps.
Course Curriculum Development – LLTC Distance Education has a great resource to support curriculum development and review. Drawing from course and learner analytics, we can employ a collection of curriculum audit tools to assess course curriculum alignment with accreditation standards, vertical alignment across academic programs, and/or coverage and alignment with institutional level learning outcomes.
Technology Integration (Teaching with Technology) – Whether you are teaching a face-to-face, blended/hybrid, or fully online course there are a number of useful technology tools available inside the Canvas LMS and outside our LMS at no cost or low cost for use in student engaged learning and instruction.
Media Production – Consultation on media production is an extension of the above category on technology integration specific to using multimedia in your instruction. Topics covered in this area include items like screen and lecture capture, podcast usage, video content sourcing and integration, advanced use of PowerPoint, and exploring other media apps like PowToons.
Course Material Accessibility – LLTC Distance Education consultation in this area promotes the use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) along with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. OERs can often replace traditional textbooks with instructional materials which are at low or no cost to students. UDL principles relate to the use of learning materials that all students can access and use with similar ease and speed regardless of abilities.
Open Educational Resources (OER) Sources – LLTC Distance Education is working on a curated list of Open Educational Resources (OER) suitable for faculty adoption. This listing includes links to a wide variety of free, peer-reviewed textbooks in subjects like math, science, humanities, and business. Many of these resources can be licensed for free use and adoption, have been developed by faculty from other colleges and universities – with resources ready for integration into Canvas.
